America 1979 – The Series

In Development | 30 minutes | Drama | intended for television and VOD
Script, Bible and sizzle reel available
Associate Producer: Anna Hossnieh

This series is an anthology, and each season follows a different household or community through a different year, re-telling contemporary American history through the eyes of the different cultural and socio-economic groups that make up our country. Examples for future seasons are “America 1980” about the draft reinstatement, and “America 1981” about the AIDS epidemic.

The first season, “America 1979,” is a thirty-minute dramedy ensemble like Amazon’s “Transparent.” It strays from conventional structure to achieve a realistic feel like FX’s “Better Things,” or Netflix’s “Master of None,” and it takes place within a historical context like AMC’s “Mad Men.” The comedy is in visual details, character idiosyncrasies, and the nuances of the physical performance.

In season one, It’s 1979, and the Shirazi family has been in the US for decades. Friendly neighbors, involved at school, they have accents, but no one knows exactly where Iran is. They become famous overnight when the Iran Hostage Crisis hits. Unfortunately, it’s not the good kind of famous.

The pilot script is a selection at IFP Film Week, and quarterfinaled at Cinequest, WeScreenplay Diverse Voices, and Stage 32. It is based on the eponymous short film that is available on Amazon and select SVOD platforms through Gravitas Pictures, and was an official selection at over 20 festivals and markets.